The Studio Source.com

I read two blog posts today that got me thinking about dresses and shoes. That got me thinking about how easy it can be to find your unique selling proposition: do it by accident.

If you’re not familiar with the jargon, a unique selling proposition (USP) is what makes you different from other people in your field, and preferably what makes you more valuable than the other guy in the eyes of your ideal buyer.

I once attended a marketing workshop where the mere mention of finding your USP made everyone look like they were about to undergo root canal. It can be a tough thing to come up with, especially if you overthink it.

If you take a Marketing 101 class you’ll quickly run into the burning question of features versus benefits. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out which is which.

Here’s how I do it: a feature is the bright shiny thing. A benefit is what it does for you. So your MP3 player has massive storage capabilities. That’s a feature. The benefit? You have tons of songs to listen to, and they all fit in your pocket.

So how does this work for creatives?